The recent news that Warner Bros. plans to send its entire 2021 movie slate to the HBO Max streaming service the same day they hit theatres has sent shockwaves through the film industry, with many high-profile directors taking issue with the unprecedented decision.
Christopher Nolan has already made his feelings on the matter perfectly clear, and Denis Villeneuve (Dune, Blade Runner 2049) has now joined the Tenet helmer by putting the studio - or more accurately, its corporate backer - on blast in a lengthy Variety piece.
Villeneuve believes that the massively in-debt AT&T "decided to sacrifice Warner Bros.’ entire 2021 slate in a desperate attempt to grab the audience’s attention," and "ensure its own survival on Wall Street" in the process. The director acknowledges that "public safety comes first," and says he fully supported the decision to delay Dune’s opening by almost a year. However, he feels that by debuting the sci-fi adaptation on HBO Max, WB "might just have killed the Dune franchise."
"I strongly believe the future of cinema will be on the big screen, no matter what any Wall Street dilettante says," Villeneuve continues. "Since the dawn of time, humans have deeply needed communal storytelling experiences. Cinema on the big screen is more than a business, it is an art form that brings people together, celebrating humanity, enhancing our empathy for one another — it’s one of the very last artistic, in-person collective experiences we share as human beings."
He concludes by urging AT&T to "act swiftly with the same responsibility, respect and regard to protect this vital cultural medium."
What do you guys make of Villeneuve's take on the HBO Max situation? Do you believe this decision may sound the death knell for cinema? Drop us a comment down below.